Waiting Between Worlds
by FateBeChanged
Summary: A chance encounter with a mysterious woman leads Naruto down an untraveled path. With each path leading to a new world, and each world with its own set of consequences what will happen when these volatile elements collide? Multiple Naruto's/Adult Naruto.
1. Prologue

**Naruto**

**Waiting between Worlds**

**Prologue**

Naruto frowned as he studied the stone, eyebrows knitting together as azure eyes studied every millimetre of the smooth, unblemished surface. It was a small thing, barely the size of a pebble, yet something about it just caught his attention, no, that was not the right word, demanded his attention seemed more like what he was feeling.

The blond sighed, knowing he did not have time for this. He still had a good week's journey back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves for the coronation, and it was paramount, according to Kakashi-sensei, that he attend. He was actually amazed that Granny had finally decided to step down and pass on that ridiculous red and white hat over to the pervert, but even he had seen it coming for a while.

He peered over at the stall owner, watching as he was scrutinised by the big, burly monster of a man. "Well boy, are you going to buy it or not?"

If Naruto was surprised by the man's gruffness of speaking he did not show it, then again when you lived the life he did this guy was nothing more than an ill tempered kitten compared to the people he had met and fought against over the last twenty five years of his life.

He took another look at the stone, idly considering buying it as a present for Sakura or maybe Hinata. It may look good on a keychain. But he shook his head and put the stone back down. He doubted it was nothing more than a pebble found at the side of the road.

"Nah, thanks anyway," he said before stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking away. He idly heard the man gruffly muttering about 'stupid people wasting his time' but he ignored it without much trouble. If the guy had any idea who he was talking too he would probably be a little bit more agreeable.

The festival in this particular town never disappointed, not since that old super pervert Jiraiya first brought him here just over a decade ago. People still came from far and wide to enjoy the festivities, eat the food, drink the alcohol and waste their money on small trinkets and keepsakes. Not that he was really in a position to judge as he liked buying little things like that from time to time himself.

He continued his tradition, buying a skewered fried squid from one of the stands, then some Dango from another, and then some ramen from the next stand. Not nearly as good as Ichiraku's mind, but still good enough for him. Eventually he reached the edge of town, looked forlornly back at the festival but after a while continued on his way. There was still plenty of time before dusk, and he needed to make up ground from his last stop off.

Naruto adjusted the scroll tied to the small of his back, making sure that the latches were still in good shape, before continuing on his way. The young man had come a long way from the sixteen year old teenager who had faced the most powerful entity in the world, now he was a youngish man at twenty five, and had taken up his old mentors wandering ways, travelling the length and breadth of the continent, rebuilding and installing his own spy networks and informants that his teacher had left behind.

The Elemental Nations may be in a time of unrivalled peace and prosperity, but that was still no reason to remain idle. The Five Great Powers may be friendly towards each other, but they also knew that if they did not compete then they would get soft and fat, and worse the Daimyo and their courts may not see any need to keep them around anymore, so they needed to at least look like they were competitive. Sure there were the Chunin and Jonin exams, and the mercenary jobs which frequently pitted their teams against each other, but there were not nearly as much animosity as back before the war with Akatsuki.

He had just returned from a little coastal hopping trip from the Land of Lightning, a trip which twenty years before would have constituted suicide for any Leaf Shinobi who proudly wore the headband as he did. Before that he had been island hopping in the Land of Water, and again, a suicide mission twenty years ago.

Amazing how things changed when your armies fought and died together, as friends and comrades than enemies and rivals.

Naruto stopped, snapping his notepad shut and placing it into the breast pocket of his trenchcoat before turning to the great forest to his right. The trees were ancient and wild, the brush thick and unforgiving, an entire barrier of greenery in the smouldering summer of Fire Country, but he felt something was wrong.

His ears picked up the unmistakable noise of someone wading through the thick underbrush, difficult to hear for most humans, but his status as a Jinchuriki came with some considerable benefits, including heightened senses of sight, smell and hearing.

Something was coming his way.

A kunai snapped into his hand as he remained where he was, waiting. Then it happened. Something exploded from the foliage, a shadow fell upon him and just as quickly flashed by as the apparition jumped from one tree to another across the dirt path he was travelling, only it wasn't an apparition, or an animal, or anything else wild for that matter.

It was a person, wearing a dark blue kimono with white patterns adorning it, once probably considered beautiful but now stained by dirt and pieces of foliage. He saw through his sharpening eyes smooth porcelain skin, long crimson hair and golden eyes which looked more bestial than human. Naruto was not even sure if he was looking at a man or a woman.

She vanished into the foliage at the other end of the road, and for a time all was quiet again. The quiet did not last. A trio of black blurs flashed overhead as more came from the darkness of the forest, these ones had a more malicious feel to them, and something which he saw was related to their style of dress.

The three of them were indistinguishable, wearing black clothes, breast and chest plates of dull silvery metal, heads shrouded by large, deep hoods but he caught a glimpse of one of the faces, a white mask covered it, similar to an ANBU yet not like an animal, but a snarling demon, a Tengu in this case if the long pointed nose and slanted features of the porcelain mask said anything.

They vanished into the forest, not giving him a second thought.

Naruto frowned at what he had just seen, but decided to see what was going on. Whatever was happening was happening on his own countries home turf, thus as a Ninja of this country's military it was his duty to intervene, to see what was happening and if it brought danger to his nation.

As he pumped chakra into his feet and barrelled into the forest after them it didn't take long for Naruto to notice how fast they were going. Their speed was incredible, almost like blurs of motion as they seemingly hopped from branch to branch with minimal effort. Silently he increased his own pace to keep up, noticing that he was barely managing it.

Then they stopped, and Naruto slowed in response, closing the distance until he reached the last line of trees. They had stopped in a clearing, the three black garbed figures encircling their quarry, words were being exchanged and heatedly.

"Hand it over, woman." One of them, voice distorted, demanded.

"The master may be merciful if you cooperate," another added gruffly.

The red had snorted, "You and me both know the depths of our master's _mercy_ Adler."

"And why would you say such a thing?" the third, this one female, asked.

"Why else would he send his hunters after me if not for my head?" the red head asked, taking a step back.

There was a moment of silence before the central one replied, "You're not as dumb as we thought."

He reached out with his right hand, and a black scythe seemed to appear right out of thin air. Naruto tilted his head as he studied the motion, eyes narrowing. It was almost like the air became black and inky, coalescing around his outstretched hand, coming together and solidifying into a shape, a pole maybe a meter and a half in length with a wicked looking scythe blade at its end. The other two copied the central figures motion, black inky mist snaking and writhing as they too solidified into a long halberd spear for one and a claymore for the other.

"Alright, perhaps we should rephrase our demand, eh?" the central one continued, his two compatriots spreading out to encircle the woman. "Give us the stone, and we will grant you a quick and painless death."

The woman took another step back, her form suddenly hunched and hands outstretched in some kind of fighting stance as she looked at the leader with a smile devoid of mirth. "You are lying again, Fried."

Naruto heard a laugh, "You got me again!"

In that instant everything moved.

The black figure with the claymore came in first, fast as lightning and swung for the woman's head. The red head saw it coming and ducked, placing her weight on her right hand and lashing out with both her feet in a vicious kick which caught the first in his abdomen and sent him flying backwards. She spun around as the one with the halberd closed the distance, the stabs were quick and precise, but she was quicker. She spun gracefully around another strike, and slammed a heel palm into his jaw, cracking his mask open and sending him back.

It was then that the leader flashed in, swinging his scythe to skewer her, but a small blade flashed from the folds of her Kimono, which she used to block the strike. The next few moments were filled with a melee of swings and stabs before a kick to her diaphragm sent her skidding backwards, a glint in the light, there was a hidden blade on the toe of his boot, and Naruto saw blood staining her already sullied Kimono.

"Hmm," the leader hummed, flexing his foot in midair. "I missed any vital organs. You re-positioned yourself at the last second, _girl_."

Naruto ground his teeth, deciding then and there that he was going to intervene and chastising himself for not doing so sooner. He had thought if he hung back he could learn something about what was happening, but if he held back anymore there would be a body right in the middle of that clearing. He pumped chakra into the soles of his feet, ready to move when the scythe wielder turned his head, a simple motion, but Naruto felt the intent in it.

"Adler, deal with the pest."

Naruto blinked, and then cursed under his breath. It looked like he had been undetected after all. He rose to his feet on the sturdy branch, watching as the one with the claymore turned in his direction and started walking, hands spread, and huge sword held effortlessly in one.

With a sigh he took one step, and fell from the branch, putting just enough chakra into his feet to break his fall and land almost effortlessly on the ground. He then continued to walk out of the cover of the trees, as if he had just taken a simple step and not fallen several meters to the ground.

The mask wearer tilted its head, as if seeing him for the first time. "Not going to run away?"

Naruto shrugged, "Nope."

"Oh, well good." He nodded, bringing his huge sword up to rest against his shoulder, posture a little too casual. "If you don't flee that saves me a lot of time running you down."

Naruto smirked as he reached into the pocket of his longcoat and brought out a pair of fingerless black gloves with metal knuckle plates, a present from Sakura a few years ago. He put them on, flexing his hand against the fabric. "My, my, aren't you confident."

Adler did not respond, but instead moved. He closed the distance with almost inhuman speed, bringing his free hand up to grip the hilt of the claymore alongside his other and swung. Naruto responded by jumping high, just missing the deadly swing and performed a backward somersault, throwing a few shuriken the masked mans way and watching as he backpedalled, easily dodging.

Naruto couldn't help but smile, hands already coming together to form a small series of seals, all the while his azure eyes watched as his opponent circled him and once again closed the distance, much faster than he had previously thought, so he had to break off his seals and instead block the huge sword with a kunai. It was a little unnerving to see how small his weapon was compared to the colossus his opponent was using but a little adage of chakra stopped the otherwise deadly strike.

A kick to his stomach caught Naruto, which allowed the man to break off from the stalemate and jump back, skidding to a halt what he thought was a safe distance away. The blond looked up, and growled low in his throat.

Now that was just uncalled for.

* * *

It felt like she had been running for years with those mad psychopaths on her tail, chasing after her with an unyielding ferocity and unnatural determination to catch her, gut her and return what she had taken to their master. They wouldn't be quick about it either. They were on no set time limit. She knew they would take their time with her, toy with her, torture her, abuse her and finally when her will was broken end her.

It was just how it was with the people that man employed. All of them were mad, all of them were psychotic, all of them were stone cold killers every single one of them. They revelled in the act of suffering and despair. It was like an art form to them. They would take away everything which gave their target happiness and hope, from an object to a life, and laugh while they did it.

That is exactly what they did to her.

She looked down, seeing the blood, _her _blood, seeping into her kimono. The wound stung. A pain which seemed to reverberate through her entire being. A shadow fell over her, and she looked up just in time to see the curved blade of a war scythe held against her throat. The weapon, like anything these creatures willed into creation, was black as night and it reeked of fear and malice and hate.

"It's over, girl, now hand it over." Fried ordered, reaching out with his free hand.

There was an explosion at the other end of the clearing, so someone had followed them. She shut her eyes tightly, knowing that whoever had followed them had signed their own death warrant; no normal human could fight these men and live to tell about it. Only Shinobi could fight them, and they were far away from any Hidden Village.

"No," she replied in defiance.

The flat end of the scythe slammed into her face, sending her careening to the ground. Her cheek stung from the impact, her ears were ringing and her head was foggy. A foot, this time without the blade, slammed into her abdomen with bone cracking force, but she ground her teeth together and refused to utter a single cry, even when he kicked her again.

She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"I can do this all day." He mocked, kneeling down and roughly grabbing her chin to make her look into his emotionless demonic mask. "Hand it over."

"No!"

His grip on her cheek tightened enough to leave bruises. "So many years as his slave and you still have the will to fight? I find that so irritating."

"Why don't you take her pretty little head and be done with it Fried," Krueger growled as she approached, nursing her abdomen. "She probably has the thing on her somewhere. We can search for it after she's dead."

"What if she has hidden it?" Fried asked nonchalantly.

Krueger shrugged, "Good point."

"I have hidden it," she agreed, allowing a morbid, emotionless smile. "And you'll never find it!"

A slap sent her slamming back to the ground, followed by another, more fierce kick to her stomach. She could taste the coppery tang of blood in her mouth as she tried to curl up into a ball, trying to protect herself from the onslaught, all the time wishing that she could be like she was, all the time wishing she could kill them all.

"I grow weary of this defiance," Fried gripped his long scythe with both hands and brought it over his head. "Let's see if this remains after I puncture a lung!"

She would not close her eyes to this. She would not show any weakness to them. She would not give them even a hint of satisfaction.

Adler flew by, form so fast it was a dark blur, a mist of dust in his wake as he slammed into one of the surrounding thick stumped trees with enough force for it to crack and fall. A low whine of snapping bark and wood seemed to give clarity to the event as the huge Fire Oak Tree fell to the ground with a thunderous roar.

Adler lay where he fell, unmoving.

A whistle pierced the air and she turned around, eyes widening as she saw _who _was walking towards them. He was a young man, dressed in a black shirt, black trousers with streaks of orange, a long trenchcoat of dark amber with black flames licking the hem and cuffs. A large scroll was latched to the small of his back. The man screamed Shinobi right down to the weapons pouch wrapped around his right leg and the Ninjato sheathed to his back. The Konoha headband was tied across his forehead, showing the symbol of the Hidden Leaf proudly.

But that was not what got her attention.

Spiked blond hair, tanned skin, azure eyes which at this moment gleamed with determination but also a hint of irritation as well, that toothy grin of white teeth and, above all else was the whisker markings etched onto his cheeks, three on each.

Her eyes widened, and tears threatened to spill.

It couldn't be him, it just couldn't.

"Naruto," she whispered, as if not believing he was actually there.

"I'm sorry, maybe I misheard this," he shouted to them, that same voice which she remembered so vividly. She barely noticed the huge black claymore, Adler's claymore, leaning against his shoulder. "But did you just, and I quote, call me a _pest_!?"

She almost felt like crying.

"Isn't that her brat, Krueger?" Fried asked idly, almost uncaringly.

Her blood froze in her veins.

"Couldn't be Fried, killed him right in front of her... first and last show of emotion the master got." Krueger admonished, now standing without any sign of discomfort, halberd held idly in her right hand. "You do realise we've just crossed the barrier right, stands to reason the brat would be alive in some other dimension in time and space, all those infinite choices and all that."

"I know, I _was _there," the leader replied, looking at the advancing blond then back to his partner. "I tell you what go and get him, bring him here, and we'll slit his throat while she watches. Let's see if we can get some emotion from this bitch."

She could _feel_ the sickening grin on Krueger's face as she was given the order, "It would be my pleasure boss."

Before she could even utter a syllable Krueger was moving, so fast that to any normal human she would have been nothing more than an incandescent blur of motion. Her halberd was once again held in both hands, the black blade ready to spear him right through the heart. She closed the gap, and stabbed.

Steel pierced flesh, blood splattered onto the ground.

* * *

_Hello everyone, names fatebechanged and this is the Prologue to my first story on this website; Waiting between Worlds. As the name suggests this is a multi-dimensional story with an adult Naruto Uzumaki being caught up in a situation which may be over even his head. I got the idea when I first became a member on this site and bumped into Echoes by Kagaseo, if you haven't heard of this story then I would say to definitely give it a read._

_As you can imagine this being a future Naruto means that I will be attempting to keep his powers and abilities up to date with the manga, though with him becoming something of a demi-god at this point alongside Sasuke then please forgive me if I take some creative approaches. This means very little in the way of training chapters for the main character, there will be plenty of action, drama, character deaths besides villains can and will happen, a few cameos if I can get permission will also be possible._

_Now like Echoes story this will feature more than one Naruto, genders and ages will vary so if you don't go for that sort of thing then the door is over there somewhere. There will be some romance in this, but I will not be doing a harem and I will not be pairing Naruto with a female version of himself, end off._

_I am open to criticism so long as it is helpful. If there is a plot-hole too big to ignore give me a shout, any spelling mistakes or noticeable flaws then please let me know. I cannot improve if I do not get feedback. Be warned that trolls are unwelcome, and flames can kiss my ass._

_Anyway, please read, and if you enjoy it review. It will help with my inspiration and allow me to see where I am going wrong or right._

_This has been a broadcast, by Fatebechanged!_


	2. The Red Haired Girl

_**Chapter 1**_

_**The Red Haired Girl**_

'_Just wing it and hope for the best'_ might as well have been a personal motto by this point. It was with this thought in mind that he brought the black bladed sword down just in time to block the spear aimed for his gut.

The only problem was that the weapon did not hold. It dissipated before the halberds advance as easily as cardboard, breaking off into hundreds of thousands of tiny fragments which would look like inky black mist. Naruto would have been skewered alive if he hadn't moved to the side and grabbed the blade with his black gloved hand, the blade of the halberd sliced a gash along his palm.

The blond spared a quick look at the black mist which was once the human sized sword; only to see it coalesce around the outstretched hand of the man he had sent flying through a tree trunk. His features were obscured by that monstrous Tengu mask, but he could feel it in his gut that there was a smirk on the bastards face.

He let go just as the other one yanked back the spear, managing to keep his fingers from being cut off by the blade as it was jerked away from his grasp. He backpedalled, twisting right and then left to dodge the follow-up stabs from his new opponent. This one was slimmer than its compatriots, and the bulges just barely visible from the chest plate told him this one was of the female persuasion. He gleaned all of this as he skidded back, just out of range.

"Why don't you just hold still," came the feminine voice, whimsical and with a little bit of mirth. "I promise I'll be gentle."

"No thanks, I choose life!"

"Pity," she replied, spinning on her heel and using her momentum to bring the long poled weapon around in a swinging strike. Naruto shot a kunai into his hand, one of the longer ones he picked up in the Land of Water a few years back, and brought it up just in time to deflect the broad, yet sharp blade.

"Krueger, finish the boy off would you?" the one with the scythe shouted irritably.

"But I was having some fun," she whined as she stabbed out at Naruto again, her strikes and stabs becoming faster and more difficult to avoid. "You are such a killjoy!"

"Shut up and end it!"

"Oh alright," she sighed a little theatrically before looking right at Naruto. "Sorry blondie, but you heard the boss. Now hold still!"

One moment she was standing right before him, then he blinked and she was gone. Naruto looked at the empty space in surprise, and was completely unprepared for when the bladed end of the halberd stabbed right through his back and exited his chest in a shower of blood and gore. He looked down in surprise and confusion at the crimson blade, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.

Krueger frowned, "_Kage Bunshin_, that old trick?"

"Krueger above you!"

It was too late for the warning, way too late. Krueger was barely aware of a bluish light directly above her before the Rasengan struck with all the subtlety of a hurricane, bone cracked and snapped, and cartelage was torn as Naruto smashed the spiralling sphere directly onto her. She was slammed into the dirt with enough power to create a small crater.

By the time the last vestiges of the technique flittered away the black clothed assassin was lying face down in the small crater, and Naruto was towering over her, crouched and watching the other two Tengu masked men with piercing azure eyes. He straightened to his full height, stepped over Krueger's either dead or unconscious form and began a slow meander towards them, hands stuffed in his pockets and shoulders slightly hunched.

"Now then, I don't know who you are or where you're from but if you don't know who I am then you're either not from this continent or you've been living under a rock for the last ten to fifteen years!" the boy removed his right hand from his pocket and pointed his thumb at his face, a vicious smile spreading his whiskered cheeks. "I am Naruto Uzumaki, and you morons are on my turf. You can run if you want, but whether you fight or run you're fucked!"

If the leader showed any signs of worry it was nearly impossible to tell, but Naruto got the feeling he wasn't overly impressed that he had just crushed one of his henchmen with his first offensive move. His foot still on the red haired woman's prone form he turned his head slightly in the direction of his associate.

"Adler, do what that idiot Krueger couldn't."

Adler nodded his head, raised his claymore into a basic sword-fighting stance, and vanished into a blur of motion, exactly the same technique as Krueger used to get behind him. Naruto responded by drawing the Ninjato and blocking an overhead strike, steel locked with the black substance of his enemy's weapon.

Naruto sidestepped, spun on his heel and brought his short sword around for a slash only to have it blocked by the masked man. He was then forced to backpedal, missing the counter thrust by mere millimetres, stepping to the right and getting under Adler's defences only for him to jump back out of his Ninjato's stab. Naruto threw the weapon, forcing his opponent to block it and buying him a few essential seconds.

He rushed through the seals for the rat, rabbit and dog before taking a deep breath. "Fūton: Shinkūgyoku!"

Some might call firing this particular wind Jutsu off at such close range overkill, and it was. The Vacuum sphere was barely visible for a split second, a large orb shaped ball which slammed into the claymore wielder with all the subtlety of a freight train. Naruto could just hear the sound of bone snapping before he was thrown across the clearing, smashing into and through the trunk of another fire tree.

And then there was one.

He spun around, just in time to see the last masked assassin leave the woman as an unconscious heap on the ground and close the distance with almost impossible speed, long poled war scythe ready for a wide swing. He jumped and spun, missing the black blade by mere millimetres before unleashing a small volley of shuriken at point blank range, they riddled the assassin, his scythe dropping from suddenly limp fingers and his form slowly falling backwards.

...And then exploding into a mass of ravens.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief, not seeing such a technique since the last time he came into contact with Sasuke's brother nearly a decade ago but once again he didn't sense even the slightest hint of chakra. One second the body was completely solid, then it just seemed to unravel into a mass of black feathered, winged, cawing birds.

They broke away and began flying in every direction, before coming back together at the other end of the clearing as a black, bloated mass of wings, feathers, eyes, beaks and talons. The shape slowly reformed, taking on the humanoid form of the assassin once more, limbs and appendages of the birds seemingly dissolving into him. He cracked his neck, reached out with his right hand and allowed the long poled war scythe to reappear in his hand.

"Nice trick," Naruto called, more than a little unnerved. "I've seen one just like it before!"

The assassin tilted his head to the side, then blurred. That's what it looked like to Naruto, to his eyes it looked like nothing more than his body becoming a blur of motion, quickly closing the distance like a wraith and bringing his scythe around for another swing. One he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge or block, so he made the necessary seals and managed to substitute himself for a broken branch several meters away. The branch was neatly cut in two by the scythe.

He was behind him now, a fully formed Rasengan held in his right hand which he reeled back and then thrust his palm forward; ready to hit him right in the chest once he fully turned around. The assassin turned as he expected, and the Rasengan struck with all the subtlety of a hurricane, meeting resistance in the breast plate for a millisecond before it cut through, and then the cloth, skin, cartilage, bone and organs before his bloodied hand exited through his back.

The emotionless mask looked right at Naruto, a brief flicker of deep, dark eyes. Then he exploded into a mass of ravens again, ravens which cawed and clawed and pecked at him as they disentangled themselves from each other and flew away. Suddenly Naruto found himself staggering backwards, hand held in front of him to protect his face from the rampant attack, all the while his brain scrambling to make sense at what he had just seen.

How could he have re-weaved the technique after such a short time? He saw no hands coming together to form the needed seals, no sudden push or pull of chakra, no signs that he had even used chakra at all. How could he have done that without noticeably using chakra? A thought came into his head, one which he didn't like. That was _not _a Genjutsu, or even a replacement technique, heck he doubted chakra was used at all.

He heard the swishing of a blade cutting through air at high velocity, turned, cried out in surprise and reeled back just as the scythe went spinning mere millimetres over him. He could _feel _the wind on his face from the weapon as surely as he could see it. The scythe continued on its course, slicing into the tough trunk of a fire tree.

Naruto was barely aware of the sudden strikes of fast footfalls before turning just in time to be caught with a dropkick to his chest, sending him flying back in surprise and hitting the dirt hard. The assassin spun in midair, landing in a crouch and launching himself at Naruto as he scrambled to his feet in a daze.

He blocked the fist aimed for his throat, and countered with a haymaker which was deflected. The next few seconds were a flurry of fists, open handed strikes and feet as he traded blows with the assassin, and was coming out the worse for wear. A strike to his shoulder caught him off balance, and a follow-up punch struck him right in the face. He was able to right himself, catching the third punch and tossing him over his shoulder to the dirt, breaking his momentum.

A foot collided with his skull, breaking his hold, and the assassin jumped to his feet and slammed another fist to his throat. Naruto's vision blackened for a moment, his windpipe crushed but already being repaired. All of this happened in the span of a few seconds, too fast for him to predict, let alone _see _coming in his current level.

Whoever this guy was he was on a completely different level from his comrades, in fact Naruto was sure this guy was the leader of the group. He had to get some distance, a few seconds was all he needed, but he knew this guy wasn't going to give him that time, so he would have to improvise.

He allowed him to strike him hard in the stomach, then grabbed the fist to immobilise him and rammed his head right into the mask. There was a crack as it broke from the impact and connected with a nose, a snap of broken bone told him his head was as hard as it ever was. The masked man stumbled, hissing in pain and Naruto took the chance, concentrating into his centre and bringing forth his sage chakra.

His eyes changed from the azure blue of a human's to the golden amber of a Toads, his pupils went from orbs to horizontal bars and his eyelids changed colour to orange. It was a simple change, not like his deceased senseis, but it was his Sage Mode, the core of his Senjutsu.

He closed the distance and aimed a punch right for the assassin. He managed to dodge, just, but that would not help him. He was struck with the full force of the blow just the same. The assassins mask shattering into pieces from the force of the blow and sent him slamming into the dirt several meters away from him, kicking up dust and debris.

Naruto did not move, he just watched as the now unmasked assassin rose, shaking his head furiously as he got back up on unsteady feet, a black gloved hand reached up and ripped off the hood, giving the Shinobi a good look at his opponent.

He saw a shock of messy hair, as black as the ravens he turned into. His face was ashen, and Naruto wasn't sure if it was his skin colour or some kind of war paint, what stood out the most was the black marking imprinted on his face, like a blackbird in flight. His eyes, deep and dark seemed to meld with the marking, giving him an almost ethereal vibe.

There was more.

Now that the mask was off he could feel something off about this man, something wrong. He noticed that the nose he had broken was already beginning to knit itself back together, if the creaking and snapping was any indication. This man had a regeneration ability, just like he did. But then did that make him a Jinchuriki? Impossible, all were present and accounted for, and no new ones had been made since the war ended. It was just him and Kirabi, no others.

"Hey, who are you?" Naruto asked, eyes narrowing. When he didn't get a reply he asked again, more forcefully this time. "Who are you!?"

He tilted his head and smiled a smile which chilled him to the bone. "Oh, nothing special... just a hunter is all."

"A hunter," Naruto repeated, frowning as the man offered a single nod in way of reply.

"Indeed," he replied, before vanishing from his sight, reappearing above Naruto with such speed, such precision he had trouble keeping up with him. His scythe was held in his hands, and he was already swinging it as he spoke, the blade glowing with a malevolent energy. "I am the hunter of fate."

Naruto saw his death in that blade and instinctively dived to the side, hitting the ground in a roll which brought him back to his feet. There was an ominous howl of wind. He skidded to a halt and turned in time to see that where the blade had dug into the earth was a large fissure, nearly twenty meters long and sparking with dark energy.

"Hmm, I missed. I must say you are very fast."

Naruto offered a small smile, covering his sinking feeling with the bravado he was famous for. "What can I say? I'm a tough bastard, always was."

"Tough yes, but you don't seem to be holding up well... what with that wound on your hand." The hunter replied thoughtfully.

"Wound on my hand." Naruto frowned, that wound should be closed up and gone by now. His trail of thought stopped when he heard a faint sound, like a plop. He looked down in time to see a sprinkle of blood seeping into the dirt, and brought up his hand with a look of surprise. The wound, the small slice mark on his palm, which should have been closed up by now, was still there and bleeding profusely, "What the hell!?"

"Strange, isn't it?" the raven said with a hint of mirth. "At this moment you are wondering how such a small and insignificant cut can still be there. Wouldn't the Kyuubi no Yoko have sealed and healed the wound by now? That is what you are thinking isn't it?"

Naruto shook his head, turning his golden eyes back to his opponent. "That weapon, isn't a normal one is it?"

"On your first try... good," Fried crooned with mock applause, each clap seemed to pound into Naruto's skull. "These weapons are not like anything you will ever know, Naruto Uzumaki. They are not simple pieces of metal, but something far more... _precious_."

Naruto frowned, a kunai falling into his open hand.

"I think that's all the time I have for today, our little game ends here." The raven stated with certainty, grinning a grin of sharp teeth before once again vanishing in a blur. He appeared behind Naruto, and the Shinobi spun around to face him, only to find him no longer there. He was beside him, the serrated edge of his scythe curled around his throat. "So tell me, human... how do you wish to die?"

Naruto did not have the chance to answer, the serrated edge of the scythe cut effortlessly through his throat, causing an explosion of crimson which splattered across the ground. The boy's life ebbed away from his azure eyes, yet for a long moment remained standing before falling to his knees then onto his side. The corpse's blood spilled from the open wound and saturated the earth.

"Hmm," the raven grunted as he swished his scythe, cleansing it of blood before allowing it to vanish into black mist. "I expected a little more. This must be one of those realities where he wasn't called to save humanity, a pity."

A strangled cry drew his attention back to his true target. The woman was on her knees, blood still flowing from her wound, pale as a sheet, looking at the bloodied corpse with wide frantic eyes. Tears were streaming down her face as she did little else but lock eyes with dead blue orbs and hold them, willing them, to flash with life.

"You were told this before," the hunter sighed as he approached. "Running is useless. Whoever tries to help you will die. Whatever place grants you shelter will burn. Do you not understand all of this is your fault?"

Her eyes flashed, turning from crimson to blue, three tomoe swirled around equally white pupils before morphing into the outline of a five pointed star. Her wide eyes looked from the body to him, and then the horror and the sadness and the guilt were gone, replaced by seething anger and hatred. White flames seemed to explode form those eyes, flickering and flaring as if they had a life of their own. They encompassed the assassin, clawing at him.

The raven sighed, and with a wave of his hand the flames fanned, and dissipated into nothing more than embers. "Let us not go through this again, death and agony will follow you like a shroud until you surrender what you have taken."

"Now that is an interesting choice of words," a hand fell onto the assassins shoulder, making him turn in surprise just as a fist slammed right into his face, there was a moment of silence, as if time had slowed and then he was sent flying from the force of the blow. "So tell me lady, what did you steal?"

She could only watch, wide eyed in disbelief as the young man who had been killed a few moments before stood completely unharmed before her. Her eyes flashed towards the blood covered body only for it to turn from a solid substance into water, imploding and soaking into the soil.

"A... Water Clone?" she whimpered, half in relief and half in doubt.

Naruto blinked, and then frowned as his question wasn't answered. "Oi, didn't you hear me? I asked what you stole."

A vicious, guttural roar of anger brought their attention back to where the assassin was on his hands and knees, spitting out a large gob of blood from his mouth, "You little bastard. You knocked out my teeth!"

"It should be more than a couple of teeth, a punch like that should have crushed bone you asshole!" Naruto shot back irritably. "I've seen how you fight now, so if you want more punishment then step up!"

The raven grit his teeth, then vanished in a blur, coming right up behind Naruto. The blond sighed, spun around, grabbed the outstretched fist in mid-motion and slammed a Rasengan right into his stomach. It wasn't full strength considering he had to create it in a split second but it was strong enough to break flesh and crack bone. The force of the impact lifted the raven off his feet, suspended for a moment before once again flying through the air and slamming into the ground.

Fried rolled to his side, spitting up blood and roaring expletives to the world, "Damn it, you son of a bitch!"

"Like I said," Naruto repeated with piercing eyes, the last vestiges of his Rasengan crackling out of existence. "I've seen how you fight, and it's nothing special!"

The man was persistent, no, stubborn as a mule came to mind, as he forced himself to his knees then to his feet. "I had you, I sliced your throat. There was blood and it wasn't a Genjutsu! There's no clone Jutsu known to man that can copy a person _that_ well, even down to his last death throes!"

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked with an aura of nonchalance. He actually looked like he was going to explain exactly how he pulled it off, and then he grinned evilly. "Nah, you know what, why should I tell you the innermost workings of my abilities? Figure it out on your damn own!"

"You arrogant little-"

"Why don't you run on home and report to your boss that the woman is under my protection, and if he wants what she took then come and get it himself!"

"You will regret this," Fried snarled with venom, swaying. "You have no idea who you are messing with, human!"

"I can no longer remember how many people have told me that since I was twelve years old," Naruto smirked. "You have no idea who you are messing with. You are dealing with forces you cannot hope to comprehend. You are out of your depth. Interfering with forces you can't control blah, blah _BLAH,_ seriously can't people come up with anything new or original around here!?"

"You will be sorry," Fried reached out with his hand, black energy crackling from his fingertips as a tear appeared in reality.

Naruto could call it a tear, but in honesty he had no idea what he was looking at. It looked like a black void of nothingness, an opening which seemed to be ripped out of the very air itself. Its very presence unnerved him, his chakra poking, feeling and prodding and finding _nothing_. Just like everything about these assassins this construct had nothing to do with the natural fabric of the world.

His vanquished opponent stepped through it and the rip in reality closed. All that was left was the silence of the forest, and the trees creaking as they were caught in the wind. Naruto watched the stretch where the tear was for a long moment before turning back to the red haired woman, who was on her knees, hand on her wound and watching him intently. It was hard to see her eyes though, with the strands of messy hair over her face.

"Now that we are alone," he said, gaining her notice. "To answer my last question, what could you have stolen to gain that kind of attention?"

Her hair parted, and he saw two glazed over orbs, as blue as the ocean and with white pupils, each one surrounded by a five pointed star. Those stars were slowly distorting, reverting back to a form which seemed so familiar, three tomoe in each, stagnant. Naruto closed the distance, seeing that she was swaying, and grabbed her shoulders before she could collapse.

He looked closely into those eyes before they closed, Sharingan, they looked like eyes which had the Sharingan, but why were they blue and white instead of red and black. He had so many questions for this woman, who those people where? What did she steal to gain such attention? Why did she have eyes which looked so much like the Sharingan, ah who was he kidding it _was _the Sharingan, just with opposite colours?

He frowned as he checked her vitals, home was going to want to hear about this.

* * *

A crackle of white energy flashed through the darkness, the void opened and Fried, bloodied and defeated, stumbled through. He looked around, eyes flashing as he checked every corner of the chamber he entered.

The chamber seemed to be coated in darkness, huge pillars of ebony marble which matched the tiled floor, kept up the high rise ceiling. The darkness was so absolute that he couldn't see the walls at the far end, or any living being within the vicinity. The assassin breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that no one could see him in such a state.

"Aren't you all beaten up, Fried?"

His eyes bulged, hearing the one voice he did not want to hear, and he turned slowly. The being walking towards him, deceptively casual, was the one person he did not want to see in such a condition.

"An agent of mine should not come back in such a state," he added, watching him closely with piercing eyes. "Tell me Fried, what has happened?"

* * *

The first thing which flooded through her when she awoke was pain, searing, throbbing pain which seemed to spread throughout her body. Her chest ached, her ribs ached, her arms and legs felt like lead weights and to add icing to the cake her head felt like someone was hitting it repeatedly and not being gentle about it.

The first thing she did was groan, clutching her head with her hands and rolling onto her side, which was an obvious mistake as a fresh wave of pain hit her. It was then that she noticed that she was lying on a comfortable bed, wearing nothing more than a hospital gown, her injuries had been stitched and bandaged and someone had given her a bath.

She was in a hospital, and she wasn't alone in the room. The black clad figure sitting on a chair on the other side of the room was hard to miss, and the white mask covering his face made guessing what he was easy.

There was an ANBU agent keeping tabs on her, which meant she was in the hospital in the Village Hidden in the Leaf, so much for being stealthy. She felt like cursing, knowing that this was perhaps the last place she wanted to be.

She didn't say a word and the ANBU didn't say a word in reply. He simply watched her with piercing eyes. After several minutes of this tense standoff she sniffed and turned her attention to the closed door, then the walls, furniture and medical equipment. There were no windows. She knew that there was probably a seal of some description keeping her contained.

She needed to get out of here, and soon. Once word got back that she had escaped her enemies would send agents, more dangerous agents after her, and this village would be the battlefield. Memories of blood and fire and screams filled her mind, but she quickly dislodged them.

It was then that the door opened, and a familiar voice cut through her frantic thoughts, "Thanks, I'll take it from here."

Her head snapped to the door, and before she could control herself her eyes widened as she saw _him _walk right into the room, giving the ANBU a pat on the back as he got up and left, closing the door behind him.

He was older than she remembered by maybe a decade, and in that decade he had grown from a young teenager just realising what he was capable off into a calm and confident adult, a handsome adult. He had allowed his blond hair to grow out a little bit, and she could almost see sinewy muscle from training and combat under his clothes, but his tanned skin, his cheek markings, even those blue eyes looked the same to her.

It was Naruto.

"Well, good thing you're finally awake," he said as he grabbed the same chair the ANBU was using and placed it beside her bed. He sat on it and offered her a toothy grin which made her heart flutter, but she quickly berated herself for _still _feeling like this.

It was Naruto, but it wasn't _her _Naruto.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, voice and manner the exact same as she remembered. She steeled herself, and did not answer, but simply looked right at him, letting him know straight away that she wouldn't be giving up answers to anyone. This went on for nearly two minutes, before he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Look lady if you don't tell me your name I'm just going to make one up for you."

She remained silent, a plan already formed out in her head. He was bound to give up eventually, and the moment she had an opening she would break the confinement seal and sneak out, she already knew exactly where it was and how to break it, all it needed was a moment alone.

"Okay, looks like a new name it is. How about Lady, or _Red_... yeah I like Red, just like your hair." He grinned _that _grin, and she felt her heart flutter again, even though she visibly twitched at being called Red, she never liked her hair colour.

"Alright Red, so I have a few questions for you," Naruto continued, as if she had given her consent to the atrocious new nickname, this irked her even more. "Pretty basic, you know. Who are you? Where do you come from? Who were those guys chasing after you? What did you steal from them? Why do your eyes look like the Sharingan? What's your favourite colour? Yeah we'll start with that, what's your favourite colour?"

She blinked, taking a little off kilter by his way of questioning. He obviously wasn't an interrogator by trade. That she could see straight away, but the goofy smile and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes made staying silent around him very difficult. Finally after a moment she sighed, knowing that she would never allow herself to be called Red. "My name's Kaori, _not _Red."

Maybe if she answered their questions they would begin to drop their guard. It would take time for her pursuers to catch up to her, and longer still for them to be able to build up the nerve to try and infiltrate a Hidden Village, if they didn't just mobilise in full force and attack head on, but even then it would take time.

"Kaori it is," Naruto spoke up, smiling. "Though to be honest I wouldn't mind calling you Red. There's just something I like about red hair, can I call you Red as a nickname."

"No," she replied, firmly.

"Well damn, that's no fun." Naruto pouted. "So why were those guys after you?"

"Because I took something their master wanted," she replied.

"And what might that be?"

"I can't answer that."

"Why not?" He looked confused.

"Because you're better off not involved," she replied, locking eyes with him. "And that is all I will say on the matter."

"We can protect you, you know." Naruto responded, and he looked like he meant it.

It was a nice gesture, but it made her snort. "No, you can't protect me. Not even here, in the very heart of your village will I be safe."

"Sorry to break it to you, but you're not in the village," Naruto replied, upon her bewildering look he continued. "The doctor said that with your injuries it was too risky to move you over so much distance, you're in one of our safe houses."

"But, the ANBU-"

"I made the call for a squad, just in case your friend comes back with... well, friends." Naruto rocked back a little in his chair, allowing gravity to bring the front legs back down to earth with a clank. "The seal I put down is a personal little design of mine, and even if you do manage to break it there's half a dozen ANBU eyeing you so please don't try anything which would make them twitchy."

More than a few responses went through Kaori's head when he finished, but she settled for a small smile. He may be Naruto, but age had definitely placed a healthy amount of caution and experience into his movements, she was grateful for this. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not especially, but to me your chakra is very distinct... almost familiar." Naruto replied, flashing a cheeky smile, but she saw a little suspicion in his azure orbs. It seemed that age and a little cynicism hadn't removed that honest streak. "I must ask you to not make such an attempt to break the seal, it is designed to alert me the moment it is broken, and I will be there in a literal flash."

Her smile became a little cynical, "Don't trust me, Naruto?"

"Not a chance," the blond replied with a chuckle. "Especially now that you know my name even though I didn't give it to you."

"Are you sure?" She asked, mentally smacking herself for letting the name slip. He was definitely not the little teenager she remembered, but maybe she could turn it around. It was a gamble, but she was clutching at straws at this point. "To be honest with your reputation you shouldn't be surprised that I know your name."

"Maybe," he allowed, and she just stopped herself from sighing in relief. "But we're getting off topic. If you know who I am then you should know that if anyone can protect you from these guys then it is me."

He had plenty of confidence in himself, and she was sorely tempted to take him up on his offer, but deep in her heart she knew the truth. No one could protect her. All she could do was run and run until they found her and hunted her down. No one could protect her from her pursuers, not even him. She had been down that route before, and promised herself never to repeat it.

"No," she replied forlornly, not even aware of the deadness in her eyes. "Not even you can protect me."

"I see," Naruto replied, worry seemed to ebb from his azure eyes as he stood up. He looked like he was about to leave, but stopped with his hand on the handle of the door, he sighed, free hand reaching up to scratch the top of his head before turning around and walking right back to her. He leaned over, hands now pressing against the mattress, his nose nearly touching hers. Azure eyes met and held green unwavering. "You may not believe this, but I will say it anyway. I _can_ protect you, Kaori. You do not need to take on whatever burden you have taken on your own, let us help you."

She looked into his eyes, immediately feeling equal elation and despair upon seeing those eyes so close again, and for a brief moment she wanted to give in, to tell him everything, to put her trust in another person once more. She wanted to laugh at her own powerlessness. God seemed to thoroughly enjoy torturing her like this, dangling the olive branch before her only to remove it when she got too close.

"No, you can't."

"I see," Naruto sighed, leaning forward in his chair. "Well onto my other question... what is your favourite colour?"

She blinked.

* * *

The moment he closed the door the smile ended, and was immediately replaced with an expression of deep thought and concentration. A low sound echoed in the back of his throat as he folded his arms and closed his eyes, it would almost be a patented thinking stance when it came to Naruto.

He opened his eyes after a long moment and began walking down the long corridor, waving the ANBU agent who passed him by to continue his vigilance of their sudden guest. He didn't get very much out of her on their first meeting, only that her name was Kaori, that she had stolen something which was precious enough for someone to send assassins after her, and that she had the eyes of a dead person.

Oh, and her favourite colour was orange.

"So, what did you find out?"

He allowed a half hearted glare to focus on the man who blurred into existence beside him. The man was maybe a few millimetres shorter than him, dressed in ANBU armour complete with the mask, what skin was exposed was alabaster, with a mop of spiky raven black hair visible even though his mask hid his face.

"Her name is Kaori, she stole something from her pursuers but she refuses to share what she stole with me... and she also declined our protection." Naruto rattled off.

A hum from his compatriot, "Usually when one of the Big Five offers protection they jump at it like a starving animal."

"Not this one," Naruto shrugged. "When I asked her she said we couldn't protect her."

"Do you think it's the Hidden Leaf who sent those assassins, then?"

"Not a chance," Naruto snorted. "Those masks were made to resemble demons, namely Tengu. You know the lore as well as I do, wearing demon masks is considered extremely bad luck, and when it comes to the ANBU corps luck is as important as the masks you wear."

"Yeah," the ANBU agreed, hand reaching up to push the mask up into his hair, revealing a long face and drooping dark eyes. Shikamaru Nara looked down at his friend, "So is she a danger?"

"Yes, she is," Naruto replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pack of cigarettes, handing one to Shikamaru before popping one in his mouth and reaching for a lighter. It was a habit Shikamaru was the first to pick up and it spread to the rest of the Konoha Twelve like a plague. "She a threat alright, but she doesn't realise it."

"How do you mean," The Shadow User asked, placing the cigarette in his mouth and allowing Naruto to light it for him.

Naruto lit his, took a deep drag and breathed out, allowing the smoke to rise and dissipate. "Whatever she's been through has left her without a single shred of hope, all she's doing right now is waiting for death... she's sure she's going to die and she wants as little collateral damage as possible when it happens."

Shikamaru hummed in thought, taking a drag from his cigarette and puffing out the smoke as a near perfect ring. He smirked at Naruto's agitated look. "So I take it this means we're not taking her straight back to Konoha?"

"You'd be right about that."

"How troublesome, the Hokage to be isn't going to like this," Shikamaru allowed. "You do know the reason why you were recalled right. He's about to become the next Hokage, and attendance is mandatory to all senior Shinobi, even the head of the Intelligence Corps and the Captain of the ANBU are not exempt, and we have those titles."

"I am aware of this, thank you." Naruto replied with a frown. "No need to say the obvious, Sasuke."

"She'll be safest in Konoha," Shikamaru continued.

"Maybe, but I'm still unconvinced." Naruto looked right at his friend with a piercing glance. "We'll remain for a couple of days. If things remain quiet then we'll move to Konoha, but I want to see what we're up against."

"You think they'll be coming for her," Shikamaru asked.

"I do," Naruto replied with certainty. "Ask for an additional squad of ANBU from command to help with security."

"This will raise a few eyebrows."

"I know."

The Nara let out a long suffering sigh, "Alright, as troublesome as it is, let's play the game a little."

* * *

"Fried has returned, my Lord."

Fried knelt before the elevated throne, head bowed low as his presence was brought to the attention of his master. Before him was a set of steps which led to an elevated floor, and upon this floor was a high backed white throne of white marble. His master, and the master of all which could be seen, sat upon it, looking down upon him with black pitiless eyes.

"Tell me, Fried, why have you come alone and without your quarry?"

Fried bowed lower still, "Forgive me my Lord, our target was far stronger than we had originally thought. She managed to kill nine of my subordinates until we were finally able to run her down."

"Then why have you returned alone?" it wasn't the master who asked this question, but his own superior. He could not look back but he felt him. Footsteps echoed through the silent chamber, and he came into his field of vision. "You said she had killed nine, yet I remember sending out twelve."

"Milord, she had found assistance," Fried replied, gritting his teeth to stave off the terror he felt. This man's very presence was heavy, and cold.

He wore a black high-collared leather long-coat, with equally black leather pants, knee length black boots and buttoned shirt, two white gloves covered his hands in contrast to the dark clothing. His face was ashen with the symbol of a blackbird in flight covering his facial features; his black hair was longer, spikier and reaching down just shy of his shoulders. His eyes were prominent, twin orbs of silver glowing in the darkness.

"Found assistance you say? Tell me Fried, what mortal could possibly defeat members of the Black Watch?" his tone was light and mocking.

"He was a Shinobi, Jonin level at least. He looked like the child we killed when we retrieved her the first time." Fried replied.

"Hmm, the kid from before..." the Messenger stated thoughtfully, then he stopped and a smile played upon his black lips. He spun around and performed a sweeping bow before their master. "My apologies my Lord, but I request that authority be granted to me with this mission."

"Oh," the Master replied, resting a hand on his chin. "Very well, assemble what agents you need."

"Thank you, My Lord," the Messenger replied before spinning on his heel and stalking from the room. Fried remained kneeling for a moment, before seeing that he was no longer necessary within the Masters Court, and getting to his feet bowed, turned and followed the Messenger from the room.

"And Hugin," the Masters voice made his superior stop mid-step. "I want her alive. Do you understand?"

"I understand My Lord, but what of the one who aided her?" Hugin, Messenger of a Dead God, asked.

"Turn all which stands in your path to ash."

A vicious grin curled black lips, "As you command, My Lord."

* * *

Her eyes flashes open again, once again meeting plain white ceiling. Kaori glared at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity, before turning onto her side to look at the door across the room, then checking the ANBU guard to make sure he was sitting exactly where she remembered him. It was a different one this time by the mask.

She had to get out of here. It was only a matter of time before they found out where she was and came to claim her, and when they did everyone within this building would die. It had been three days since she had awoken here. Her wounds were bound to have been healed by now, so now was the time.

She shut her eyes tightly, feeling the accursed power flowing through them and activating the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan before opening them again. The moment she did everything seemed to slow right down to a crawl, everything could be seen, heard, felt, tasted and touched with great ease.

She sat up in bed, gaining the ANBU agents attention and looked right at him, catching his eye before he was even able to register the danger. By the time he was aware of her unique Sharingan he was already caught in the Genjutsu of her Tsukuyomi. His eyes widened, bulged and then drooped as he slumped in his seat, unconscious.

She got out of bed, changed into her clothes and circled around the room, her eyes flashing as she found the core of the sealing technique which kept her here. He did say he would know if she broke it, but she doubted this Naruto had ever come across this particular brand of the Sharingan before. She placed her hands on the seal, watching it flash into existence, and broke it with a simple pulse of chakra.

The hallway beyond was empty, as was the one after that, and the stairs after that. Her senses were immediately on alert the second she reached the top of the stairs and walked into the main lobby of what looked like a basic office building. There were no guards at the door, no receptionist at the desk, no one at all.

She sensed them though. It was too easy for her not to miss once her eyes were active. There were at least three ANBU in the rafters, and another dozen in the street outside, but she ignored them and walked across the lobby and out the double doors. They made no attempt to stop her, which meant they were under orders not too, maybe even follow her.

She allowed a small smile, expecting more from him than this.

Her right eye swirled, a swirl which encompassed the right hand side of her face, then her body and finally taking over her entire form. Her entire existence became a blur of spinning whirlpool like swirls as she activated the Kamui and blurred from existence.

On the rooftops of the buildings opposite Naruto and Shikamaru watched.

"Troublesome doesn't even begin to explain it," Shikamaru muttered under his breath, taking a deep drag of his cigarette even as a dozen pairs of sandals landed on the surrounding shingled rooftops in a series of clacks. "She _does_ have the Sharingan."

With a grin as wide as a predator the blond turned to his raven haired compatriot, "Somebody send that bird, 'cause I called it."

* * *

_And first main chapter done... special thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favourite and watch lists up until now, and special thanks to Sagemodeman, & Azofeifa for reviewing my first chapter, I hope you guys stick with me._

_Okay, I will admit this, originally I was going to have Sasuke as head of the ANBU corps, but then I read the latest chapter of Naruto and I thought... you know what? F**k you Sasuke, just, seriously, make up your damn mind already. I have been a reader who has been very patient with this guy, but now I am safely in the 'I hate Sasuke' camp, and I am also know in the 'Kishimoto is a troll' camp. So yeah, I put Shikamaru in as the head of the ANBU._

_Anyway, read and if you like review, or if you have some helpful advice review, or if you notice any glaring grammar or spelling errors review (I'm on my own at the moment)..._


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